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God of War II
God of War II is a hack and slash action-adventure video game and the sequel to the God of War video game for the PlayStation 2. It was released in North America on March 13, 2007, in Europe on April 27, 2007, and May 3, 2007 in Australia. The North American NTSC version of God of War II is packaged in a two-disc set. The first disc contains the game, and the second disc is dedicated to the game's development, including a diary of the game's production. The European/Australian PAL version comes in two different editions: a single disc standard edition and a two disc "Special Edition" that comes in a different case than the single disc edition. It also includes different box art, a bonus DVD, as well as the PAL version of the game. God of War II won a Golden Joystick for "PlayStation Game of the Year 2007" at the 2007 Golden Joystick Awards. Gameplay The gameplay of God of War II is very similar to that of its predecessor. The player controls Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements. It also keeps the concept of using minigames to perform bloody kills. Plot God of War II takes place some time after the events of the first game; Kratos, after his defeat of Ares, has become the new god of war, but has not been accepted by the other members of the Greek pantheon due to his ruthless treatment of the other Greek city-states. Kratos is still haunted by memories of the deeds from his past while working under Ares. He finds enjoyment the only way he can, by leading and aiding his Spartan army in conquering Greece. Athena pleads that Kratos stop, telling him that she cannot protect him much longer from the wrath of the gods and that he should not turn his back on her because it was she who made him a god. Kratos replies that he owes nothing to her and descends to Rhodes to assist his Spartan army. As Kratos arrives to destroy the city, a bird (Zeus), which Kratos believes to be Athena in disguise, robs him of almost all of his godly power, infusing them into the Colossus of Rhodes and bringing it to life to kill Kratos. After a protracted conflict with the metal giant that rages across the city, Zeus offers Kratos the Blade of Olympus, which Zeus himself used to overthrow Cronos and the Titans. At Zeus' behest, Kratos infuses the blade with his godhood, rendering him mortal but enabling him to to destroy the Colossus from the inside. As Kratos jumps from the falling Colossus, he shouts to the gods if he needs to prove anything more to them. However, Kratos is crushed and severely wounded by the Colossus' falling hand after the battle. Kratos realizes he must retrieve the Blade of Olympus to save himself. As he slowly gets up and limps his way to the sword, Zeus reveals himself as the eagle that stole his power. Zeus explains he betrayed Kratos to save himself and Olympus from the same fate as Ares. He then offers Kratos one final chance at being a god, provided that he forever serve Zeus. Kratos says he serves no one, and Zeus, claiming Kratos has left him no other choice, slays him. Zeus tells Kratos that the path was his own choosing and, though mortally wounded, Kratos still defies Zeus, saying that 'a choice from the gods is as useless as the gods themselves'. An enraged Zeus drives the blade further into Kratos' chest. Zeus whispers that everything Kratos has ever known will suffer for his sacrilege - Kratos will never be the ruler of Olympus and 'the cycle ends here'. He then pulls the sword out of Kratos and uses the weapon's power to destroy the fighting warriors of Sparta and Rhodes. Kratos' final words to Zeus are "You will pay for this Zeus! Be certain of that!". Kratos then falls over dead. However, as Kratos is being dragged towards an eternity of torment in Hades, he is saved by Gaia, the mother of the Titans and the franchise's narrator, who offers an alliance. When the Titans were defeated by the Olympians, they were punished and humiliated, and they want Kratos' help to exact revenge. Kratos escapes the Underworld and is bidden by Gaia to find the Sisters of Fate in order to change his past. She gives Kratos the aid of the magical horse Pegasus to traverse the distance to the Fates. Kratos and Pegasus, after a detour to a mountain that houses the Titan Typhon and the former Titan Prometheus, fly to the Island of Creation where the Sisters of Fate await. As he explores the island, Kratos encounters the likes of Theseus, whom he kills in battle to determine who is the greatest warrior of Greece, Perseus, who is there to change the fate of his beloved Andromeda, and the Barbarian King from the original God of War. Kratos also encounters a haggard and crazed Icarus who tackles Kratos off a cliff. While both are falling Kratos rips off Daedalus's wings and sails below the Earth where it is being held up by Atlas as Icarus falls to his death far below. Kratos lands upon the Titan Atlas below the earth and tries to communicate with him. At first Atlas refuses to help Kratos, bent on crushing the human for his new imprisonment since their last meeting. However, Kratos manages to persuade Atlas to help him so that he may change his fate and kill Zeus, with the Titan accepting the offer, giving Kratos some magic and helping him back to the surface so that he may continue his quest. After an expedition through the Sisters' Palace, where he learns that Sparta has been destroyed, Kratos, despondent and bereft of the will to carry on, is inspired by Gaia to continue the battle. She promises Kratos that Zeus will fall, saying 'this battle is just the start of a great war that is to come...' Kratos finally confronts the Sisters, Lahkesis, Atropos and Clotho, who operate and defend the Loom of Fate, which rules the lives of mortals and gods alike. Kratos first encounters Lakhesis. She reveals that it was she who decided the Titans lose the Great War and allowed Kratos to come this far. They fight and Kratos defeats her, but she then summons Atropos who takes Kratos back to the time of his final fight with Ares in the first God of War. As Kratos and Ares disappear (as Kratos fights to protect his family in an illusion caused by Ares), Atropos attempts to destroy the Blade of the Gods - the sword that Kratos used to kill Ares - reasoning that if the sword is destroyed, Ares can kill Kratos, causing him to die in both the past and the present. He stops her and goes back to the present to face Lahkesis one more time. As he fights Lahkesis, Atropos intervenes from the three mirrors in the room, meaning Kratos must fight both at the same time. Kratos destroys Atropos' first two mirrors, then traps Lahkesis and Atropos in the last mirror and destroys it, trapping the two Sisters in the past for eternity, and opening the path to Clotho who pleads with Kratos as he approaches that his manipulation of fate will destroy everything. Upon reaching Clotho, Kratos impales her in the head with a swinging blade, leaving him to control the loom. He first goes back to his death at Zeus' hands in Rhodes, reclaiming the Blade of Olympus and inciting a lengthy battle with the King of the Gods. At the end of the fight, Zeus is striking Kratos with an unstoppable lightning storm, leaving Kratos to call out to Zeus that he surrenders. Kratos asks him to release him from his life and his torment, and as Zeus is about to execute Kratos, stating that "I will end your life, my son, but your torment is just beginning", Kratos dodges the blow and pins Zeus's hands to the rock with his blades. Kratos then takes the Blade of Olympus and begins driving it into Zeus' abdomen. Athena arrives and defends Zeus. Kratos angrily battles her, snarling at her for having the gall to stand against him. Athena replies she doesn't wish to fight, but she will defend Olympus. The badly wounded Zeus attempts to escape, telling Kratos he has started a war he cannot hope to win, as the Fates have already deemed Zeus victorious. As Kratos tries to charge forward and slay Zeus as he flees, Athena interposes herself, saving her father at the cost of her own life. Her dying words reveal that Zeus' actions are meant to break the cycle of son killing father, which goes back to Cronos killing Uranus, and Zeus defeating Cronos. By killing Kratos (the son) before he can kill Zeus (the father) Zeus had hoped to break the cycle - thus confirming that Kratos is, in fact, Zeus' own son, and begs him to relent in his quest for vengeance. After a moment of apparent shock and shame, Kratos darkens and snarls that he has no father. Athena dies in Kratos' arms, saying that all the gods on Olympus will deny Kratos, defending Zeus so Olympus will prevail. She said that even though Kratos wishes to kill Zeus, Zeus IS Olympus. Kratos then vows to exact retribution on Zeus and any god who will deny him his vengeance, screaming that their time is at an end, swearing that 'If all on Olympus will deny me my vengeance, then all on Olympus will die!' Returning to the Loom, which is now collapsing, Kratos uses it once again to go further back in time to The Great War as it ends. Kratos screams to Gaia, "Gaia, we can still win the Great War! But not in this time! Join me in my time, Victory awaits." He brought Gaia and the titans back to the present with him. Meanwhile, Zeus rallies his fellow gods Poseidon, Hades, Hermes and Helios together, urging them to unite and defeat Kratos. As Zeus spits out triumphantly, "Olympus shall prevail!", the entire temple of Olympus begins to shake. The gods run over to the balcony to see the Titans brought forward in time by Kratos beginning to scale the mountain and bearing Kratos with them to end the Great War between the gods and the Titans once and for all. As Zeus looks down in horror, Kratos shouts up to him, "Zeus! Your son has returned! I bring the destruction of Olympus!" The game finishes with a prophetic warning: The End Begins.... Characters Kratos - At the start of God of War II, Kratos is the God of War after defeating Ares but not being released from his torment made his sorrow boil into hatred. He turns to his mortal army of Sparta to wage war on cities across the land, which raises the anger of Zeus and the other gods. Soon, he finds he is betrayed by Zeus and reduced to a mortal. Kratos must travel to the Sisters of Fate to exact revenge and destroy Zeus once and for all. Athena - The goddess of wisdom, defensive war and industry. Though a constant companion in the first game, Athena appears only three times in this sequel: once to warn Kratos that his actions are displeasing the other gods, a second through a statue (as in the first game), and the last to save Zeus by stepping in the way of Kratos' killing blow. (Ironically, when Athena's mother, the Titaness Metis, was pregnant, Zeus attempted to kill both for fear that the child be the prophesied overthrowing son.) Gaia - Mother of the Titans, and connected to all things of the Earth. Along with the other Titans, she was banished in the War of the Titans, and seeing Kratos' quest for revenge on Zeus, offers to lend her power to his cause. She helps Kratos throughout his journey in hopes that together they can bring about the fall of Olympus. She also acts as the narrator. Lahkesis - The middle (matron) of the three Sisters of Fate bears a feathered robe and wings along with a staff. She mocks Kratos by telling him that she was the one responsible for deciding both the defeat of the Titans in the Great War and letting Kratos reach the Sisters. She refuses to accept Kratos and tells him that he will fail in his quest to change his fate. Atropos - The oldest (crone) Sister of Fate who was inside Lakhesis until she split off to fight Kratos. She mocked Kratos' attempt to change his fate, demonstrating her power by altering the event from the first God of War and attempting to destroy the Blade of the Gods so that Kratos would die by Ares' hand. Kratos is forced to fight in his own past (with the final battle of the first game raging in the background) in order to defeat her and preserve his existence. Clotho - The youngest (maiden) Sisters of Fate that Kratos encounters, although she looks like anything but. She is a morbidly obese silkworm-like creature with multiple arms and breasts that sits within the multi-leveled Loom Chamber. She spins the thread of every mortal, god and titan. Kratos must defeat Clotho and learn how to work the loom in order to kill Zeus and change his fate. Zeus - The King of Olympus who created the Blade of Olympus. He is the father of Ares, Athena and Kratos. He betrays Kratos in the beginning of the second game. Zeus is the antagonist in the second game. Enemies Common enemies Most of the common enemies that Kratos faces are based on mythological creatures including several that return from the original God of War; these include the Undead, Wraiths, Harpies, Nymphs, Griffins, Minotaurs, Gorgons, Cyclopes, Cerberus hounds, Sirens, Satyrs, juggernauts, and the armies of the Fates. Many of these common foes can be dealt a more violent finishing blow to earn more experience orbs and other benefits, though can also be finished off by repeated attacks. Bosses Colossus of Rhodes - The first boss in the game. It is brought to life by Zeus (who was in the form of a bird) who drains Kratos' power and gives it to the statue. As Kratos fights his way through the city, the Colossus attempts to destroy him. Kratos eventually fights the Colossus from within. When completely drained of its power by Kratos' use of the Blade of Olympus it begins to collapse. Kratos escapes through the mouth onto a platform. He is then crushed and nearly killed by the hand of the falling colossus. Theseus - A famous Greek hero, he wields a twin-bladed spear and can summon ice crystals and Frost Minotaurs. He serves the Sisters of Fate as the 'Horse master' for the glory of Zeus and keeps the key to the chapels on the backs of the Steeds of Time. Kratos offers Theseus' life in exchange for the key he possesses for the door; however Theseus challenges Kratos to a duel to the death to prove who is the greatest warrior in Greece. After an extended battle, Kratos uses Theseus' own spear against him by impaling him to the door, using the key to open the door, then repeatedly smashing the door on his head until he dies. Barbarian King - One of the characters from the original game to return, the Barbarian King was seen repeatedly through the cutscenes in that game as Kratos' adversary who nearly defeated him, forcing Kratos to make a pact with Ares. Kratos is seen decapitating the King in the first game, but in this game he is a corpse riding a decrepit horse and he tells Kratos he is thankful that the Fates granted him this last duel with Kratos for revenge. After Kratos knocks the King off his horse, he uses his own hammer against him, smahing his head in untill it's nothing but a huge mess. In another throwback to the original game, the ship captain whom Kratos let perish inside the Hydra is one of the souls the Barbarian King summons. If you kill him, it marks the third time in the series you let him die. (The second being when you encounter him in the Underworld in the first game and kick him into the Styx.) Mole Cerberus - A black, three-headed hound who is faster, stronger and can breathe fire, Kratos discovers it has eaten Jason (of the Argonauts) and the Golden Fleece along with him. Kratos must retrieve the Golden Fleece from within the beast. He first stabs two of the heads then sticks his hand inside the last ones mouth ripping the fleece and his guts from inside of him killing him. Euryale - Medusa's sister, a much larger, heavier gorgon. She wishes to avenge the death of her sister, who was slain by Kratos in the original God of War, and to get revenge for all of the other gorgons Kratos has killed. She praises the Sisters of Fate for luring Kratos to her temple. Her petrification energy is red, as opposed to other gorgons' energy being green. Kratos struggles with her at first but finally slices her head off. When defeated, her head can be used to turn enemies to stone. This is similar to "Medusa's Gaze" from the first game. Perseus - The Greek hero appears to be on his own quest to seek the Sisters of Fate, to bring his love (presumably Andromeda) back from the dead. Perseus uses the Helmet of Hades that makes him invisible, a sling, a sword, and a reflective shield, all of which he received from various gods. He attempts to kill Kratos believing that the confrontation is a test to prove his worth for an audience with the Sisters (or at least he can bask in the glory of slaying Kratos). Kratos must first destroy his helmet to remove his invisibility then break his sword into pieces, at which point Perseus is down only to his sling and the blinding magic of his shield. After weakening Perseus, Kratos smashes his head into a wall, drowns him into unconsciousness then takes Perseus's shield and throws him through a wall into a hook, killing him instantly. Icarus - Kratos runs into an elderly Icarus upon reaching the Great Chasm. He appears to have lost his sanity, reacting violently to Kratos' arrival. This causes a tussle that takes them both over the edge. Kratos manages to tear off his wings, causing the old man to fall to his death, while Kratos lands on the Titan Atlas. Last Spartan - Silhouetted against the sky from behind a framed glass window, Kratos fights this opponent as a shadow. Neither man knows the truth as to who they are fighting until Kratos wins by ramming him through the chest with his blade then tackling him through a window, discovering to his horror that it was the Spartan he had told to defend the city at the start of the game. He tells Kratos that Zeus had destroyed Sparta and he had hoped to gain an audience with the Sisters of Fate to change the outcome. The Spartan dies having faith in Kratos' ability to save the Spartans. Kratos uses his body to place on a pressure plate during the battle with the Kraken. Midway with Kratos fighting the Kraken (after the player discovering a strategy to defeat it) he consumes his corpse whole. Kraken - Appears after the battle with the Spartan. At this point Kratos has been through so much that he gives up fighting and will not lift his blades. He now believes he cannot change his fate and wishes Zeus to face him at that very moment. This allows the Kraken to firmly grab hold of Kratos who is still enraged. Kratos regains his fighting spirit after being convinced by Gaia (in the form of Kratos' wife) that he will be eternally tormented by Zeus unless he changes his fate. After a few rounds of battling the monster, Kratos stabs its tentacles, knocking it off balance, allowing Kratos to use a lever to extend a bridge, sending the bridge straight through the Kraken's mouth, killing it. Sisters of Fate - In order to use the Loom to change his past, Kratos must battle the Three Sisters of Fate that are defending it, frightened that Kratos will bring doom to the world should he use it. Lahkesis confronts Kratos alone trying to kill him using a combination of melee attacks and magic with the use of her staff. When bested by Kratos, Lakhesis releases Atropos from within her. Atropos carries Kratos through the mirror back to the time when Kratos fought Ares. She threatens that she could kill Kratos in the past by destroying the sword he used to kill Ares. Kratos defeats Atropos, bringing him back to Lakhesis' throne room. Both Lakhesis and Atropos fight against Kratos. He defeats them by throwing them into one of their inter-dimensional mirrors, and then destroying it, trapping them in a void between realms. The final sister, Clotho, awaits Kratos a few levels away. While Kratos makes his way to her head he disables five of her smaller arms blocking his way up. Once at the top level, he disables her two main arms, giving him time to bring up a giant swinging blade. With this blade he impales Clotho through her head killing the last of the Sisters of Fate, granting him the power to change the past. Zeus - After using the Loom to return to when Zeus drives the Blade of Olympus into Kratos, Kratos must fight Zeus for control of the blade in order to change his future. Toward the end of the battle Kratos uses both Athena's Blades and the Blade of Olympus to bring him down. After an electrical storm attack from Zeus, Kratos tricks Zeus by telling that he gives up and to end his life. Kratos, with the use of the Golden Fleece, reverses Zeus' attack and uses the Blade of Olympus to nearly kill him until Athena interrupts. Kratos, while trying to run Zeus through, accidentally impales Athena who threw herself in the path of the killing blow and mortally wounds her while Zeus escapes with no concern for his fallen daughter. Items and abilities Weapons Blades of Athena - Bestowed on Kratos by the goddess Athena. They function as the same weapon as the Blades of Chaos, but these were given to Kratos as he ascends to Godhood by Athena, and after Ares had taken the Blades of Chaos from Kratos during the final battle. Barbarian Hammer - A slow but powerful close combat weapon originally wielded by the Barbarian King. With it, Kratos can deliver powerful slams and smashes, and also summon legions of souls. Spear of Destiny - A fast weapon with piercing attacks originally used by the Dark Rider. Blade of Olympus - A divine sword so powerful it was the blade that allowed Zeus to defeat the Titans. Each weapon can be powered up with experience orbs to increase their power and add new attacks. However, the Blade of Olympus, normally a weapon provided solely by plot developments, can only be used when during the fight with the Colossus, fighting Zeus in the last bit of gameplay, and via Bonus Play. Magic Poseidon's Rage - This is a spell from the first God of War game. Kratos uses it in the first part of the game (at Rhodes) but then loses it upon loosing his godly powers. Typhon's Bane - A magical bow and arrow-like weapon that allows Kratos to fire rapid blasts of wind. Cronos' Rage - An attack using electricity to strike multiple targets via orbs of lightning. Head of Euryale- The severed head of Euryale, which can be used to turn enemies to stone (similar to the Medusa's Gaze from the first game). Atlas Quake - A wide area ground pounding attack) in which Kratos summons earthquakes a rocky debris. Kratos also gains the "Rage of the Titans" power from Prometheus, which is similar to the "Rage of the Gods" from the first game. This power can only be activated initially when a meter has been filled either due to Kratos taking damage or collecting yellow/gold orbs from defeated foes. Activating the power increases Kratos' attack power for a short time and makes him invincible to knockback, stun, and petrify effects, though not invincible to damage. The player is allowed to activate and deactivate Rage of the Titans whenever they wish, unlike Rage of the Gods which had to be fully charged and then could only be fully drained. Relics Poseidon's Trident - Kratos obtained this in the first game and has it again in God of War II. It allows him to dive, swim, and breathe underwater. The Amulet of the Fates - A relic that allows Kratos to slow down time when close to a Fates Statue. Golden Fleece- A golden armlet which Kratos can use to reflect directed shots back at their sender. Icarus Wings - A pair of feathered wings that Kratos takes from Icarus. With them, he can glide short distances while jumping. Treasures Much like the first God of War, upon beating the game you can also unlock additional costumes that Kratos can wear. You can also unlock Challenge of the Titans which works a lot like Challenge of the Gods from the first game. A new thing in this game is that Kratos can uncover diffrent urns that give him special powers This game also contains a new feature called "Bonus Play" which allows one to replay the game with all of Kratos' weapons and powers. Critical Reception Upon its release, God of War II garnered overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. Many consider it to be one of PlayStation 2's best games, and also one of the best action games of all time. It contains four times as many boss fights and improved puzzles in comparison to the original. The game is also considered to be the swan song of the PlayStation 2 era — in other words, the last great game released exclusively for the console. In North America, the game had sold 833,209 copies by the end of March 2007, twice as many copies as the next-best selling game. In its first week of release in Europe, the game took the top spot in the UK charts as well. The game went on to sell over one million copies in its first three months. As of July 11, 2007, the game has sold two million copies. On March 13th, 2008, God of War II joined Sony's renowned Greatest Hits list.